


Meeting

by Katrina



Category: Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-07
Updated: 2011-05-07
Packaged: 2017-10-19 03:12:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,647
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/196238
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katrina/pseuds/Katrina
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Fandom(s): Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII<br/>Request: Zack and Angeal! Again, same as above with the two as friends or mentor/student, not yaoi, and stories can be just about anything! Some ideas: we don't really know the circumstances of how Zack and Angeal first met - was it some time after Zack had joined SOLDIER, or soon after he ran off from home? Were there any difficulties before they started working together? Zack's pretty headstrong and has trouble focusing - how could this have impacted them early on? Did Zack even want to be a part of the mentor program?</p>
    </blockquote>





	Meeting

**Author's Note:**

  * For [CSKazaam](https://archiveofourown.org/users/CSKazaam/gifts).



> Fandom(s): Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII  
> Request: Zack and Angeal! Again, same as above with the two as friends or mentor/student, not yaoi, and stories can be just about anything! Some ideas: we don't really know the circumstances of how Zack and Angeal first met - was it some time after Zack had joined SOLDIER, or soon after he ran off from home? Were there any difficulties before they started working together? Zack's pretty headstrong and has trouble focusing - how could this have impacted them early on? Did Zack even want to be a part of the mentor program?

“So, are you really going to join this mentoring program of theirs?”

Genesis’s question just lead to Angeal looking at him, and the redhead sighed. “Of course you are. Forgive me, that was a rather ridiculous question, wasn’t it?” The faint hint of teasing was mixed in with the words, and he grinned at the other. Shaking his head, Angeal chuckled and moved to grab a seat.

“They asked, and I thought it might be a good opportunity. Besides, by taking a one on one student, I’m guaranteed to make sure at least one gets it right.”

“Modest of you.”

Angeal chuckled as Genesis rolled his eyes. They had been friends from a long time, and were well used to dealing with one another’s sense of humor. “In any case, they are waiting for me to pick who I want to teach, as that was something I’m determined to have control over.” He was not going to deal with the higher ups trying to force him to pick their personal favorites among the newly accepted SOLDIER candidates. If Angeal was going to teach someone, he was going to teach someone he felt was worth that level of dedication. Because it was going to be a long term project, and he was going to turn out the best SOLDIER he could.

He would never tell Genesis this, but he was pretty sure he knew why they had not asked either Sephiroth or Genesis to participate in the project. Sephiroth.... He was Angeal’s friend, but the man had issues dealing with people at times. Meanwhile, Genesis deal badly with people who couldn’t keep up with him. He was good, and he knew it, but he still expected everyone around him to keep up with his standards. Which very few people could at times, and definitely -not- a new SOLDIER.

So of the three, Angeal really was the best choice, as he was already doing some guiding here and there anyway, so the idea of taking a full time student was...interesting.

“Any idea who you are going to pick?”

A slow nod at Genesis, and Angeal smiled.

Yeah, he knew who he was probably going to pick.

 

///

“Fair! Ass over here now!”

Head swiveling around, Zack left what he was doing and trotted over to where the drill sergeant was yelling for him. He hadn’t been doing anything wrong, so he wasn’t sure what was up. “Sir?”

Faulks grinned at him, and, after a moment, Zack felt a bit more relaxed. That wasn’t the “I’m going to make your life miserable” smile that the man usually gave when he.... Well, he gave it most of the time, actually. This one looked like he actually meant it. Which was sort of freaky in it’s own way. Zack was sort of surprised that the man even knew that facial expression. The teenager would have thought sadistic was the only mode the guy had. Course, it wasn’t like he didn’t know -why- Faulks was that way, but it was still hard to deal with at times.

“Congrats, kid. You’re going to be the first in your little group to get your shots. Seems you get to take part in some sort of special training.”

The words were almost sneered, but Zack didn’t care. Special training? That was -awesome-. He perked right up. Oh, yeah, he knew he was great, and it was good to see that the others had realized it as well.

“Go to floor fifty. You got to fill out paperwork first, then you get to meet someone.”

Zack was instantly curious. “Who?”

“Your new teacher. Seems they think you might, -might-, be worth the effort of training your sorry ass. Obviously insane, but most of the 1sts are like that. Going all glowy fries the brain, I swear.”

A 1st? Zack began to bounce a bit. As in a SOLDIER 1st Class?! Oh, yeah, this was going to be good. He’d show them just what he could do, and he’d be a 1st Class himself in no time.

There was a bit of muttering from Faulks, then he waved Zack off, and the dark haired teen almost ran to the elevators. Dreaded paperwork, then he’d be in SOLDIER. Finally. It had taken them long enough to get things going.

Grinning like a lunatic, Zack hit the button. From here, everything was good. He was in, and now he’d finally be able to prove just how good he could be.

///

The kid was energetic, Angeal gave him that. Watching through the one way mirror, he chuckled faintly as the boy muttered while doing paperwork. At least he was doing it, though, and not just doodling anymore. There had been a brief break in the middle of all the filling out forms for a quick artistic break, which made Angeal shake his head a bit. He still wasn’t sure if it was better or not that he had drawn on the table instead of the papers themselves. Probably better, as if the papers were drawn on, someone would have probably made the kid fill them out again.

Glancing at the file he held, he looked at the basics. Good scores all the way across the board for skills and tests. He was a well rounded fighter, pretty smart when he wanted to be, and had scored amazingly well on the reaction to Mako shots. Not that Angeal knew a great deal about what all those numbers meant, but he could read, and the people doing the tests had marked out that Fair had an incredibly good response to the test shots. Which was good, as if he wanted to be a 1st Class, he had to at least accept the shots well enough to make 2nd. From there, Angeal could teach him the rest.

Another round of fidgeting in the room, and Angeal chuckled. Yeah, that was going to be the hardest part, he was pretty sure. Fair was a bundle of spastic energy, which he was going to have to tame some. Of course, Angeal had been expecting it some. The boy was young, and like all kids that age, he had more energy than sense. Studying him until the other started the paperwork again, Angeal looked at the file once more, but it didn’t tell him anything new.

The reason he had picked Fair wasn’t because of his tests. Oh, they helped, but it wasn’t the main reason.

The teenager was a leader. He didn’t act like it most of the time, but now and then.... It was there, in the way he helped guide some of the other boys through tests, the way he could not only make plans, but adjust them and implement them on the fly. To do that and to get others to follow him.

Inside that rather bouncy ball of energy was a good heart, and the strength of character to make sure that what he was doing was the right thing for everyone around him.

-That- is why he picked Zack Fair.

Perhaps he’d even tell him that one day.

It seemed that Zack Fair was done with his paperwork, though, and Angeal smiled. Time to go meet the kid face to face.

///

The man was -built-.

It was the first thing that flashed through Zack’s mind. It really was. He had seen Angeal before. But always from a distance. It wasn’t often that Zack had to look up at people, but he definitely had to tilt his head back some to meet Angeal’s eyes. Plus those were a set of shoulders on him, even without the armor. Over his shoulder, Zack saw the hilt of a sword, but his attention was mostly caught watching Angeal’s face. The man was looking back at him, and it was with an obvious air of amusement.

He really, really hoped that was a good thing.

“Shin-Ra knows you are going to be an excellent SOLDIER 2nd Class, Fair.” He started a bit as Angeal suddenly spoke, and he couldn’t help but lock gazes with the older man. “Everything shows it. But, I think they are wrong.”

Stiffening, Zack opened his mouth to say....something. He wasn’t sure what, but it would be witty and sarcastic and tell the man just how wrong he was. That, Zack was sure of. Come on, mouth, toss out that comment now.

Angeal held his hand up, stalling whatever Zack was hoping his brain would toss out. “I think you have the potential to be an excellent SOLDIER -1st- Class.”

That made Zack’s mouth snap shut with a sharp click of teeth. A moment past, and he made a bit of a gargled noise of agreement. This wasn’t some manager or officer saying it. It was someone who was already a 1st Class SOLDIER. That made a surprising amount of difference.

There was a long moment of quiet, then Angeal chuckled. “Breathe, kid. Trust me, you are going to hate this at times, but because I think you do have that potential, I am going to be your teacher. From now on, you report to me, and I will do everything in my power to help you reach that potential. What do you think? Sound good to you?”

Zack nodded rapidly. “Yes sir, Hewley sir!”

“Ah, basic training. Call me Angeal, Zack. We’re going to be around each other a lot.”

Angeal smiled, and Zack smiled back, starting to bounce again. Finally! Finallyfinally-finally-!

With another chuckle, Angeal turned and started out the door. “Come with me. We’ll get you to the lab so you can get your shots, and we’ll see how it goes from there.”

Smiling so wide it hurt, Zack followed. Angeal expected him to follow, and Zack would do that, because he was going to be the best.

And with Angeal’s help, he was going to prove it.


End file.
